Oily Rag: The January 2026 Edition
Time moves on. The force beneath it doesn’t.
For us, the new year presents itself as both a reminder and a reset. Time is always moving, the swells keep coming and the only constant is motion itself. In deciding not to chase the year, and instead going after what it offers, we have something of a blueprint to celebrate another year of Deus stretched before us. The start of our third decade in business and yet time feels illusory and beginnings just as slippery and unpredictable as the paths we follow. So join us won't you, for another year of Deus Ex Machina.
Until February,
The team at Deus.
Reading, Watching, Listening with Carby Tuckwell.
The unhurried practices. Small rituals that slow the world down.
These are the stubbornly open-ended, resistant to quick consumption rituals of Carby Tuckwell, Deus Creative Director & Co-Founder, that keep him porous to influence.
Reading: The Best of AA Gill. To be erudite with puerile ambition simultaneously is a rare skill - AA Gill remains the paragon of travel and food writing. And as sorbet - the latest edition of the Road Rat - the world's finest periodical about the wheeled objects that move us.
Alt take: Hamnet - performative male reading of fem agit-lit substituted here for pop-trajii-romance but forgiven because it’s Shakespeare.
Listening: Dev Hynes latest Essex Honey gets more drippy every listen. Polyrock and a Phillip Glass’ post punk pants boogie. Arthur Russell consumed in the evenings with Hojicha tea.
Watching: Bad Lieutenant (and every film Zoe Lund starred in / co-wrote).
Two Wheels, One Tide Chart.
Deus Ambassador Eddy Hamaty chasing the edges: where the road gives way and the ocean takes over.
Shot by @makker.studio / @zach.bowden
Curiosity over Genre: The Sound Philosophy of DJ Friskie, Deus Japan.
Guided by curiosity and feel, DJ Friskie crafts genre-agnostic sets, balancing discovery and groove - an open, expectation-free energy that has come to epitomise Deus Records.
Q. What’s the feeling or energy you’re always chasing when playing?
A. I'm driven by both curiosity and enthusiasm.
Q. How do you translate the Deus Records spirit into your sets - is there a particular mood or rhythm that feels unmistakably “Deus” to you?
A. Regardless of knowledge, difficulty, light or dark moods, or genre, what matters is originality and playing without concern for outside expectations. To me, the spirit of Deus Records is an inclusive attitude toward everyone. I feel that “Deus” energy in the performances and DJ sets of certain artists, and I try to reflect that same openness in my own playing and in the way I’ve curated this playlist.
Q. What shifts in your approach when you’re shaping the vibe for different environments (more intimate gatherings, vs. larger crowds)?
A. I approach it like a game of Shogi or Chess—reading the floor and deciding whether people want to discover a new experience or be carried by the groove and energy, and finding the right balance between the two.
Q.What sparks your curiosity when you’re searching for new sounds? What makes a track jump out for you?
A. It’s continuously changing. Something that felt great yesterday might change and not feel the same today. By avoiding a fixed mindset and always approaching new sounds with fresh ears, that ongoing process naturally builds both knowledge and the music I play as a DJ.
Explore DJ Friskie's playlist below:
